Kucinich Releases Media Reform Plan

Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis J. Kucinich is scheduled to speak on the topic of media
reform on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 3:30 p.m. Central Time at Briar Cliff University, Stark Student Center,
520 Rebecca St., Sioux City, Iowa.

Kucinich today released this statement: "The response of the American people to the exchange
between Ted Koppel and myself demonstrates that there is great concern about the proper role of
the media in a democratic society. The American people clearly do not want the media to be in a
position where they're determining which candidates ought to be considered for the presidency
and which ought not to be considered for the presidency. Such practice by the media represents a
tampering with the political process itself. The role of the media in this process has now become a
national issue central to the question of who's running our country, and I intend to keep this issue
before the American people, and I look forward to engaging America's news organizations as to
what they might be able to do to be more responsive to the public concerns that are reflected in
the powerful response to the issues I raised in the exchange with Ted Koppel."

snip

DENNIS KUCINICH'S PLAN FOR MEDIA REFORM

Kucinich will, as President, work for serious media reform, including substantial free air time for
candidates and parties. Given the high cost of campaigns, the power of corporate special interests,
and the fact that the networks are given free use of the public's airwaves, Kucinich will require that
the networks give something back other than "reality" shows.

Media conglomerates are currently among the most powerful lobbyists against media reform, but
Kucinich believes that were the media to provide substantive coverage of politics it would actually
boost both media ratings and voter turnout.

In addition to requiring free air time for political campaigns, Kucinich will create a greater diversity
of viewpoints in the media by breaking up the major media conglomerates, encouraging
competition and quality, as well as diversity. Kucinich will place new caps on media ownership and
would ban the granting of exceptions to those caps. Kucinich will limit the number of media outlets
one corporation can own in a given medium, such as radio, print, or television. He will strictly
prohibit cross-ownership and vertical integration.

much more here....

dp

of the greatest problem

I really hope Dennis does better than expected in the primaries.

Kucinich will involve people in the maintenance of their airwaves, creating public media outlets controlled by community boards similar to the model of Pacifica Radio. He will greatly expand funding for public broadcasting channels on television and radio, assuring the existence of media outlets free of the influence of advertisers.

Kucinich will promote knowledge of the public process through which citizens can challenge the licenses of local broadcast outlets failing to provide local coverage and coverage directed at the whole community, or outlets airing excessive violence.

Kucinich will allow not-for-profit groups to obtain low-power FM radio-station licenses. He will encourage the development of new, community-based, noncommercial broadcasting outlets.

Kucinich will work to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization, which media companies are currently lobbying for the creation of trade sanctions against countries that fund public broadcasting, limit foreign ownership of media, or establish standards for local content. For similar reasons, Kucinich will block US participation in the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas.

Kucinich is the only presidential candidate in the race with a strong record on media reform. He is the only one who has filed formal objections with the FCC to their deregulation of the media. He is the only one who has held hearings on Capitol Hill on what the media weren't telling people about a war.

Kucinich holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in speech and communications from Case Western Reserve University. He was honored by Case Western Reserve as being one of the top 50 students in that program in the last 50 years.

Kucinich worked as a copy boy for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and a copy reader at the Wall Street Journal. He has had his own radio shows, did on-camera television reports for Channel 8 in Cleveland, had his own TV production unit, and carries a card as a member of the IATSE, the cameraman's union.

One of the leaders of Kucinich's campaign in Iowa is former FCC commissioner Nick Johnson, author of this column in yesterday's Des Moines Register: http://desmoinesregister.com/opinion/stories/c5917686/22992327.html

For more information: http://www.kucinich.us

When Dennis decides to address an issue, he doesn't hold back, does he?

And for me, I support media reform.

Kucinich Makes Media an Issue

* Breaking up the major media conglomerates in order to encourage competition and quality, as well as diversity. Kucinich wants to limit the number of media outlets one corporation can own in a given medium, such as radio, print, or television. He would also prohibit cross-ownership of newspapers, radio and television in the same market by a single corporation.

* Expansion of funding for public broadcasting channels on television and radio, and expansion of support for community-controlled media, in order to assure the existence of media outlets that are free of the influence of advertisers.

* Requiring broadcast and cable networks to provide substantial free air time for candidates and parties during election campaigns.

* Opening up the regulatory process so that citizens can more easily challenge the licenses of local broadcast outlets that fail to provide local coverage and that fail to direct coverage at the entire community they are supposed to serve.


I love that his positions are so well laid out. He really tries to address the causes and not the symptoms, and that is so impressive.

I also love this quote: "I don't think ABC should be the first primary. The first primary should not be on a television network."

I wholeheartedly support him.

In a past life I was a working musician/songwriter, and I've struggled with trying to get stuff on local corporate-owned stations. In pre-web days, it was damn near impossible to get your stuff heard unless you gigged for three years, 3-4 nights a week and traveled around the region; or "knew somebody" at the station who did you a favor and played it on the "local music" segment which aired at 1:00 AM Monday morning.

It was bad ten years ago, and it's even worse now.

The Telecom act of 1996 was pretty much the nail in the coffin for independent radio stations. It let the sharks like Disney and ClearChannel gobble up the market, thereby crushing any diversity that still existed after sixteen years of Reagan/Bush/Clinton neglect.

Now that Dennis has led the charge, how long will it be until the other candidates hop on the bandwagon like they did with Diebold and so many other issues? :D

Music today sucks in part thanks to that horrid Telecom Act... what's the incentive to promote anyone different?

So glad Ani DiFranco's on board with Kucinich. She knows what the deal is with radio & independent artists!

Are other DUers ashamed to face the fact that Kucinich is the best candidate?

By ignoring his topics and saying he is "unelectable" they don't feel responsible for the collapse of America?

DK is right on...we need to break up the media monopolies and support competitiveness in the media.

I just wish many DUers would realize that DK is the man America needs for the future.

First...they have to come into the topics.

*sigh*

on the system, because it esentially settles things in such a way that in order to regain power from the other side, you must fight with the same rules... or so they think

Those "DUers" that think that they will beat Repubs with repub tactics will have to learn the hard way that this is a fight (as Bush itself says) of those either with (him), or against. However him represents more than just a particular, circumnstantial president; with him also its meant those that want things to be kept as they are

So, after saying that, ¿how can you fight that with usual (ie: traditional) methods?




P.s: precisely the things you mention happen in one-shot elections; that alone is a reason for considering my election reform

I almost never enter Dean threads. I browse through the others; give Clark a little time, and the other 7 I'll pretty much read most, even if I don't post.

More people read than post. And I think many more believe he is the best on the issues, even if they support someone else. They're afraid he can't win. Fear is self-defeating. We're getting a kick from last week's debate, and a tv add is ready. Dennis is rising. If he makes a good showing in Iowa & New Hampshire, many of those who accepted defeat before a vote was cast will reconsider. And the press will have to work harder to ignore him.

way to go dennis!

I haven't read much about Dennis and will take a look at his website, for the first time. Thanks again.

of Rights, i hope you find the candidate you can support whole heartedly there.

peace
dp

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more time and attention. We all know the media controls the dialogue, and is controlled in turn by big $$$. We need to do something about it, and Dennis has the plan.

he ought to coopt that old nick of his "Dennis the menace". He IS a menace to the right-wingers, media whores, and overall corporatocracy!

I LOVE the sound of it!

Now, who is Dennis' Mr. Wilson?

is what we need for a truly Democratic society, and unfortunately we are sorely lacking that. I'm so glad that Dennis is in this race with much needed progressive solutions on all the issues.

and presidential campaigns won't be free of special interest money until free air time is mandatory. -

If free air time was mandatory, and every candidate got equal media,
how would the polls be different at this point?

for the man with a plan

for the man with a plan

is a principal reason why Dennis has been ignored by the media.

They don't want anyone who's wise to their game and ready to call them on it.